Youth group condemns violent dispersal of Mendiola camp-out on Noynoy’s 3rd day

Youth group Anakbayan condemned in the strongest terms possible today’s dispersal of a peaceful Mendiola campout by peasants calling for genuine land reform.

As of presstime, 38 farmers and their supporters were detained in the Western Police District station in UN Avenue in Manila, according to BAYAN-ST (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Tagalog region).

“In only its third day, the Aquino regime has already revealed its true stance in regards to the issue of genuine agrarian reform. Instead of addressing farmer grievances, they just forcibly remove the complainants” said Anakbayan national vice-chairperson Anton Dulce.

“If he is this swift in breaking promises and disappointing the peoples’ expectations, it will be no surprise if Aquino ends up more hated than his predecessor” he said.

Noynoy’s 2010 candidacy banked heavily on promises to reverse corruption and human rights violations which were the hallmarks of the nine-year reign of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Under her, hundreds of peasants were executed by military agents under the auspices of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Oplan Bantay Laya.

The youth leader remarked “Finally, the regime has shown its real colors behind all of its daang matuwid hype: bloody red”.

“History is repeating itself: a haciendero president cannot, and will not, serve the interests of his peasant constituents” he added.

In 1987, during the presidential term of Aquino’s mother, several farmers were also slain in a rally in Mendiola when state troopers opened fire against them. Seven were killed when military elements fired upon striking farmworkers in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, of which Aquino was a shareholder.

“We can only wonder how the regime can justify this barbaric act. Traffic obstruction? Mendiola has been closed to traffic due to the construction of the Peace Arch. Threat to security? It was a peaceful gathering. Perhaps the farmers posed a threat to the government’s security: they exposed the true intentions of the Aquino Regime in regards to the biggest sector in our country” remarked Dulce.

Currently, Anakbayan is mobilizing its members to troop to the WPD station and camp-out outside until the detainees are released.

“We will work hand-in-hand with our peasant brethren until they are released, and we will work with them to rebuild their camp. They feed the nation with their labor and they deserve nothing less, not the brutal treatment the Regime has shown them” he said.